Carers are the unsung heroes of the NDIS. Carers are often parents, children, relatives or partners caring for a loved one who needs assistance with day-to-day living. Carers often perform these duties from the goodness of their hearts.
While caring for someone is undeniably fulfilling, it can often be a challenging and relentless task that may interfere with a carer’s own goals and aspirations.
The Government’s Carer Gateway is a fantastic resource for carers to gain support and educational information to make the carer journey as easy as possible. We’ve summarised the key supports and resources found on the Carer Gateway.
Financial Assistance
Caring can be very expensive. Caring responsibilities often mean that you are unable to pursue full-time or permanent employment and your social life may be constricted.
Heading to the Carer Gateway Financial Assistance page, you’ll find a comprehensive summary of payments available to carers and easy to follow instructions on departments to contact in regards to carer payments. It also provides information on certain subsidiaries and concessions you may be eligible for.
Respite
There is no doubt that caring is a demanding job, and it is important that you take regular breaks to recharge. Avoiding burnout is key to maintaining a high level of care and this starts with looking after both your mental and physical health.
The Carer Gateway outlines why respite for carers is so important, how to access respite and the costs associated with utilising respite services. Remember, it’s important to prioritise health and wellbeing so you can continue caring at a high level.
Advice
As most carers are relatives of the person they care for, many carers do not have any formal training. The Carer Gateway provides educational resources and advice to carers to support them on their caring journey.
Whether it’s advice on managing day-to-day tasks or help with forward planning, the Carer Gateway is the go-to place for carers needing assistance.
Carers are also often managing the daily admin NDIS tasks, so that’s where we come in! Contact the team at Bright Plan Management to discuss how we can make your life a little easier.